Letters to the editor for May 4, 2018

Friday

May 4, 2018 at 2:01 AM

Breaking the rules of the road, paradise found and sinkhole madness.

What rules of the road?

I am speaking as a new resident of Ocala. I came from a Chicago suburb. I can’t believe the disregard for the rules of the road here. No turn signals, driving so slow that a backup is five times as long as normal, people passing on the right, especially semi-trailers. Cell phones, well you know.

Back in Illinois, the police would have a field day writing tickets — more money for the city.

Besides that, I love this place. A great place to retire, but watch out when you are driving.

John Kowalski, Ocala

Paradise found

One of Marion County’s premier attractions, that I call the “Augusta” of Ocala, is the Baseline Executive Golf Course, a botanical golfer’s paradise.

Created in 1988 from a former nursery by Arlie Parker, with design assistance by Stan Norton, the course landscaping and lighted driving range are pristinely maintained and operated as a family enterprise. The 19-hole layout features a bonus extra island green par 3, a waterfall and an unbelievable array of trees, plants of all sorts, including large elephant ears, beautiful flowering plants, many ponds and white sand traps. Every golfer, young and old, public or private club members, and especially us old geezers with weak knees and optimistic muscles, should avail themselves of this great golfing experience.

The highlight of my week is participating in the Tuesday evening (6 p.m.) scramble event, open to all, with each player utilizing the best ball of each player until the ball is holed. Long knockers and the “elderly” are equalized as three holes are chosen at random where birdies are lost giving all players a chance at winning prizes redeemable in the pro shop — close to pin awards, too. Last year I was subbed in Arlie’s foursome one week and we unbelievably scored 7-under par but managed to tie for first place. Last week, two of us in the foursome, within months of age 85 and 95, had only one birdie in the group and came in second. Anything can happen and usually does.

Arlie, a former All-American hockey player and New Jersey Devil, seems to be proficient with sticks in many forms. He is at work even when golfing, so I’m sure he has an ample to-do list every day on Tuesdays. I thank you for making my day. Kudos Nan, Arlie and staff.

John R. Butt, Ocala

Sinkholes

There’s three things in nature you can’t fight and win — wind, water and fire. We see there’s more sinkholes in Wynchase subdivision. There have been sinkholes all over Florida, and many other states where water is present, and some areas where it’s dominant.

It takes two things to cause sinkholes, water and unstable soil. There’s nothing more unstable than sand, plus Florida is a peninsula and surrounded by water and, in large part, on water.

So what’s the main cause of our local sinkholes? Two things: sand and water from Marion County Utilities, which is a part of the Floridan Aquifer. Aquifers are underground caverns where water is stored and then pumped out under pressure, leaving a cavern until the water is replaced naturally or, in some cases, pumped in.

Water can be accessed from rivers, so aquifers are constantly filled, assuring less chance of sinkholes. When a sinkhole occurs, the water company which uses aquifers, that causes the sinkholes, should have to pay to fill them back in and all expenses incurred by the property owner.

No one seems to concerned about global warming except Sen. Bill Nelson, a true intellectual. As I said earlier, wind, water, and fire will win out if smarter minds don’t prevail. As I said, there’s been sinkholes all across the state, even in Oak Run where I live. Add to that hurricanes, landslides, tsunamis and other natural disasters, and you will understand, “We are no match for Mother Nature.”

I’ve been involved with scientists in Georgia when the Floridan Aquifer wanted to come into Savannah, pump water out of the Savannah River into aquifers and then pump it out, and sell it to homeowners and businesses, and they failed, due to the many reasons I’ve mentioned here. We should join with Sen. Nelson and climate change specialists and work to preserve what we have while we have it. When it’s gone, it’s gone.

Bill Ford, Oak Run

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